The Wheel of Time Starts Principal Photography

Amazon's The Wheel of Time television series begins production today. Today also happens to be the twelfth anniversary of the death of Robert Jordan, the author of The Wheel of Time novels. Amazon released a video with The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins to commemorate both occasions. "Hey everyone, today is our first day of principal photography on The Wheel of Time television series, and for all of us, it's a little bit emotional because it is also quite coincidentally the twelfth anniversary of the author, Robert Jordan's, passing," Judkins says in the video. "So as much as I'm excited about this new endeavor that we are all embarking on, I am also quite humbled and honored to remember the man who began all of this. Tai'shar Rigney."

The video closes with the words from the last embrace of the mother, the traditional burial ceremony of the Shinaran in The Wheel of Time: "May you shelter in the palm of the creator's hand, and may the last embrace of the mother welcome you home." You can watch the video above.

Rosamund Pike leads the series as Moiraine, a member of the mysterious organization called the Aes Sedai, as she leads a group of adventurers on a journey that could change their world forever. Pike is known for her roles in Gone Girl, Die Another Day, Jack Reacher, and Pride & Prejudice. The rest of the cast includes Madeleine Madden as Egwene Al'Vere, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon, Zoë Robins as Nynaeve, Josha Stradowski as Rand Al'Thor, and Daniel Henney as al'Lan Mandragoran.

According to Amazon's synopsis of the series, "The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all-time, with over 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity."

Are you excited about Amazon's adaptation of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time into a television show? Let us know how you feel about the project it in the comments section!